Apparatus for producing colored patterns in embroidery machines

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for producing multi-colored yarn for use in Schifflitype embroidery machines consisting of first producing a punched tape programmed according to color variations of a pattern to be embroidered on fabric material. The tape is cut simultaneously with a standard tape of the Jacquard type used on these machines. After the color tape is produced, it is used to control a multicolored dye system where a continuously moving yarn has the different colored dyes applied thereto in accordance with the colored tape which controls the application of the dye selectively. After the yarn is completely and selectively dyed, it is inserted back onto the machine in proper sequence, and synchronized with the original standard tape so that the needle stitching produces a multi-colored embroidery according to the original design.

United States Patent Ochsner Related US. Application Data Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 848,840, Aug. 1, 1969, abandoned.

US. Cl. 112/83 Int. Cl. D05c 3/04 Field of Search 112/83, 84, 85, 86, 88

[76] Inventor:

I References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1934 Ghilardi 112/83 8/1953 Casper 112/84 7/1958 Pasquet t 234/3 X 5/1963 Servi1lat.... 234/85 X 5/1967 Loflen 234/59 10/1967 Ree 112/83 ooo-oooocoocoeooeonooooco 000090000000200 ooooooooo [4 1 Jan. 29, 1974 3,555,852 l/l97l Stock et al 234/89 X Primary ExaminerAlfred R. Guest Attorney, Agent, or Firm-William V. Pesce [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus for producing multi-colored yarn for use in Schiffli-type embroidery machines consisting of first producing a punched tape programmed according to color variations of a pattern to be embroidered on fabric material. The tape is cut simultaneously with a standard tape of the Jacquard type used on these machines. After the color tape is produced, it is used to control a multi-colored dye system where a continuously moving yarn has the different colored dyes applied .thereto in accordance with the colored tape which controls the application of the dye selectively. After the yarn is completely and selectively dyed, it is inserted back onto the machine in proper sequence, and synchronized with the original standard tape so that the needle stitching produces a multi-colored embroidery according to the original design.

4 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING COLORED PATTERNS IN EMBROIDERY MACHINES This disclosure is a continuation in-part of my previous disclosure filed Aug. 1, 1969, Ser. No. 848,840 entitled Yarn and Yarn Color Apparatus In Embroidery Machines now abandoned.

The present invention relates generally to embroidery machines and in particular to apparatus and methods for making and applying colored yarns to said embroidery machines.

The well-known shuttle embroidery Schiffli machine includes a common gatter frame upon which is mounted two waggons arranged in tandem, one above the other. Each of the waggons includes a supply tube upon which there is wound a supply of material to be embroidered and a rewind tube upon which the embroidered material is wound, the material being stretched between the tubes during the embroidering operation. The gatter frame is shiftable both vertically and horizontally such that the material may be displaced in a complex path determined by the automatic control for the machine. The embroidery mechanisms are arranged at relatively stationary locations in relation to the respective waggons, and each includes a needle rail at the needle side of the material having a series of needles fixed at spaced locations along the length thereof each of which is fed from a supply of needle thread. A shuttle box rail is provided at the shuttle side of the material which carries a series of longitudinally spaced shuttle boxes corresponding to the needles. The shuttle boxes contain shuttles having bobbins therein providing the supply of shuttle thread for the respective needle threads. At the needle side of the material there is a boring point rail which is provided, at spaced locations along its length with a number of boring points which, at prescribed intervals during the machine operation, are effective to cut holes in the cloth. Mechanisms are provided for driving the needle rail through a stitch-forming stroke such that the needle threads are passed through the material, and form loops through which the respective shuttles are passed causing the shuttle thread to loop through the needle threads, as is generally understood.

The needle thread is fed to the respective needles over a yarn tensioning and controlling system which includes, in succession from the supply of the needle thread, a short stroke thread carrier and a long stroke thread carrier. The short and long stroke thread carriers are effective as the needles move through the forward or stitch-forming strokes to initially deliver the needle threads substantially free of tension, to then form a loop through which the shuttle passes as the needles begin to retract, and finally to pull back on the needle thread to complete the stitches. i

It is generally known to coordinate the various actuating and controlling mechanisms of the shuttle embroidery machine from a common automat or tape of typical Jacquard construction. The automat is generally characterized as including a continuous roll of paper or similar material known as a punching or control tape which is punched at longitudinal spaced locations, and in a number of side by side rows in accordance with the several control functions which are to be sensed and directed to the actuating mechanisms of the embroidery machine. The control functions are sensed through the holes in the punching and mechanically establish the control functions in the order in which they are read out of the punching. The punching or control tape indexes for each stitch thereby providing a continuous read-out of control information to the embroidery machine.

The foregoing essentially describes an embroidery machine presently encountered in the art. However, the application of colored yarn to the material to be embroidered is a singular affair. That is, each colored yarn must be applied separately; the old colored yarn being first removed so that a new color can be applied. This means for every new color the machines must be stopped, old yarn removed, new yarn applied, and all needles re-threaded, and the operation started again. Where patterns of multi-colors are used, the cyclic variations of insertion and removal of different colored yarns becomes difficult, burdensome, time-consuming and costly.

It is therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide in a shuttle type embroidery machine of the type described a system for continuously producing multi-colored embroidered designs without the necessity for stopping and rethreading said machine for each and every separate color of the design.

A further object of the invention is to provide a system for producing a programmed control tape responsive to color variations of the design to be embroidered synchronous with, and in conjunction with, a standard punched control tape representative of the design.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a system for producing colored yarns responsive to punched programmed color controlled tapes and disposed to produce a colored embroidered pattern as programmed on a punched standard control tape.

And still another object of the invention is to provide a control system for selectively controlling a plurality of individually colored dye sources, each disposed to selectively discharge a given colored dye to a continuously moving yarn in accordance with a pre-punched, programmed, color-control tape.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from a reading of the specifications and a study of the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a simplified diagram of a system for producing a multi-colored embroidery in accordance with the invention embodied herein.

FIG. 2 shows conventional and color programmed tapes and the comparison of the linear length of the color tape corresponding to the total number of stitches of the conventional tape.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are different views of a representative stamping mechanism for punching and perforating a color tape according to the color variations in the embroidered pattern.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are different embodiments of dyeing systems for dyeing yarns according to the color programmed tape.

FIG. 7 shows typically a stitching portion of the Schiffli machine and yarn feed.

FIG. 8 shows a simplified diagram of apparatus for simultaneously producing design and color program tapes indicative of an embroidery design pattern and colors appertaining thereto.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, brief reference being made from time to time to the details of a typical automatic shuttle embroidery machine of the type generally known in the prior art, to facilitate a better understanding of the embroidery machine of the type described herein, shown in US. Pat. No. 2,030,495 of Feb. II, 1936 to Bretschneider, US. Pat. No. 3,390,650 of July 2, 1968 to Ochsner. A gatter frame (not shown) carrying upper and lower cloth waggons is mounted on the machine frame 1 for adjustments both horizontally and vertically to displace cloth 2 in a complex path in accordance with concurrent vertical, and horizontal shifts of the gatter frame. The complex movement of the material 2 is determined by an automat tape 3 of the Jacquard type. The material is placed in motion and is stitched by a reciprocating movement of a needle 4 which performs one cyclic reciprocal movement for each indexing movement of the tape 3 which is equivalent to each successive perforation of the tape. The needle thread or yarn 5 is threaded along a path which includes a thread tension carrier 6 about which the thread is wound.

Substantially, what has been described above refers to a standard machine. To program an additional tape for color variations according to the embroidery design, additional means are provided for producing the desired effect as shown in FIG. 1. Essentially there is shown a linear movement of the thread as it drives the thread tensioning carrier 6, which in turn actuates another gear 7 attached thereto at one extremity thereof. The gear 7 drives another gear 8 by means of pulley belt 9. Gear 8 is connected to and drives sprocket wheel 10 via shaft 11. The sprocket wheel 10 as it rotates is a feed device for driving tape 12 which is already perforated along its edges for the purpose of indexing the embroidery machine a stitch at a time according to the standard Schiffli machine. The tape 12 is held in a horizontal planer position by additional sprocket wheel 13. The tape feeder system is completed by a pair of idler positioning rollers 14 and 15 for tensioning purposes, and feed and take-up reels l6 and 17, respectively. The movement of the tape or indexing thereof is carried out in the usual manner in which these machines operate. Special Geneva arrangements are provided, not described herein but in I the patents referred to, which create the indexing movements which cause the needle to make one reciprocal movement for each movement of the tape from one perforation to the next along the tape edge. As previously mentioned, the material being embroidered has movements in the horizontal and vertical direction imparted to it in accordance with the Jacquard programmed tape. This tape is one that has previously been perforated or programmed along the body thereof in accordance with a given pattern or design.

The conventional Schiffli embroidery machine is equipped with sample making stitching apparatus comparable to the large machine for the purpose of programming a tape according to the desired pattern. The pattern is traced out by pantograph means, and a sample demonstrated on a small piece of material to determine its accuracy, while at the same time a tape is being punched out according to the desired configuration. The foregoing demonstrates the procedures for single color programming.

To permit additional colors to be programmed, a separate color tape is programmed simultaneously with the conventional Jacquard tape, both being operated synchronously so as to permit one to be programmed according to the design or configuration aspect of the embroidery, and the other to be programmed according to its color configuration. I

The dual tape arrangement may be accomplished as shown in FIG. 8 which represents a simple embodiment although other more sophisticated embodiments can be accomplished. The above is for purposes of showing a workable arrangement. The diagram essentially shows a preliminary design pattern traced out by simplified pantograph means 76, there being one tracer 77 for purposes of tracing out the design and the other tracer for tracing out the color arrangement making up the design. The pantograph movements are thereafter translated by control box 78 into perforations on indexing tapes indicative on tape A of the pattern design and on tape B of the color configuration of said design. It is the object of said color tape to control the dye process, hereinafter described, in coloring yarn and determining the linear length of each color of the yarn. The programmed color yarns are then properly placed in the regular Schiffli machine and the regular design tape also placed in the machine so as to produce the regular colored design pattern. The color tape as such is used only in preparing the yarn. FIG. 1 shows in part simplified means for perforating color tapes.

Again referring to FIG. 1, the tape 12 continually moves or is indexed according to the Jacquard or conventional tape 3. When a first color of the pattern is desired, the start thereof is programmed on color tape 12 by means of a first perforated hole 20 which has been punched by means of a'stamping device 21 disposed to be transportable along and transverse to said tape. At the end of the first color sequence a second perforation 22 is made by the stamping machine to signify the end of the first color. The length of the first color 32, determined by the two perforations 20 and 22, is also equivalent to the linear length of the yarn 5 which has gone into the stitching of the embroidery, as controlled by the tape drive mechanisms consisting of carrier 6, and gears 7, 8 and pulley belt 9.

The foregoing operation is repeated for an additional or second color represented by perforations 25 and 26, the length 27 being determined by the distance between said perforations. It may be appreciated that the lineal path of each color 28 and 27 for example are each represented along different parallel paths, else one color could not be distinguishable from another. This process is repeated for each color variation in the embroidered pattern until the design has been completed. The complete stitching program as controlled by the conventional tape determines the linear length of the yarn as programmed on the color tape. FIG. 2 shows the conventional, and color tapes side-by-side to indicate that both tapes are made simultaneously and that the linear length of the color tape corresponds to the complete operational length of the conventional tape. Each side perforation 10 of the conventional tape corresponds to a single stitch and represents a certain linear length of yarn. The same indexing perforations are shown on the color tape 12 and coincide with and correspond to the perforations of the conventional tape. Hence, a true linear length of each colored yarn will be programmed according to the original design pattern.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a representative stamping machine for punching or perforating the tape according to the color variations of the design. In particular, the stamper consists of a carriage 20', disposed to ride along a foundation bed 21', carrying a punch mechanism 22' and individual spring return punch 23', each being compressible or actuated by a spring returnable hand lever 24'. The punch mechanism contains spaced block-retaining means 25, 26 for straddling or sandwiching the tape 12 which is to be punched or perfo- -rated. The tape as it is driven by combination yarn roller and gears, previously mentioned, is perforated by the punch 23' along individual color paths determined by the spacing of the punches. To compensate for start and stop variations of the different colors, the carriage may be transportable along the rail bed 21' along the length of the tape so that color may start or be delayed by the amount of compensation required. In other words, a certain amount of guard area is required to assure that one color does not blend into the next color, else a true color reproduction of the original will not be had.

As previously described with respect to FIG. 1, a color programmed tape is first produced to play or cooperate with a regular designed Jacquard tape to develop a colored embroidered pattern. However, in the instant case, the color programmed tape is then used to develop or color dye yarn in accordance with the programmed tape so that the color sequence variations of the yarn will be coordinated with the Jacquard tape when it is being stitched or applied to the material being embroidered. FIG. 1 shows schematically the color programmed tape 12 and a series of sensing controls 30, 31 and 32 each disposed to intercept the perforations on said tape which represent different colors, and the extent of each color variation or length. The other extremity of the sensing controls each permits the discharge or flow of colored dye from dye sources 33, 34 and 35 for the duration of each separate color variation, the flow extending to the yarn 36 as it moves past each colored dye source. The yarn is thereafter accumulated upon a regular spool 37. Upon completion of the dyeing process as above stated, the yarn spool is then unwound or reversed so that another spool contains the yarn colored in accordance with the colored programmed tape and ready for stitching according thereto along with the regular programmed tape for the stitching design.

FIG. 5 shows a particular embodiment for color dyeing yarn in accordance with a particular programmed tape as previously described. For example, the said figure shows a color programmed tape 40, produced according to the process described previously, and a series of micro-switches 41, 42 and 43 each offset a distance comparable to the track displacement of each color originally produced on the color tape. The microswitches have connected thereto special relays 44 which in turn controls solenoid energizing coil 45. For purposes of brevity, only switch 42 is shown with relay and solenoid, although it is clear that the other microswitches are similarly connected. A special colored dye source 46 is shown consisting of a container 47 holding colored dye 48 arranged to flow through a conduit 49 and an air chamber 50 and out through a nozzle spray 51. A valve, not shown, is controlled by a lever arm 52 driven by solenoid arm 53 as it becomes energized through coil 45. A special air source 54, is fed to the air chamber 50 so as to produce a spray 55 necessary to discharge the dye upon the yarn 56, any residue being collected by a collector receptacle 57 for future use.

In operation, micro-switch 42 is actuated by a first perforation 60, the contacts 61 are open, and relay 44 is actuated. Solenoid 45 is energized and lever 52 actuates valve in air chamber 50. Dye is released upon the yarn, the yarn continually being in motion. The holding coil in relay 44 continually holds the relay operative even though the contacts 61 close after the perforation is past. However, at the next perforation 64, the contacts again open, creating another impulse which causes holding coil in relay 44 to release and thereby de-energize solenoid 45 to permit the dye apparatus to cease discharging the dye for this particular color. The same cycle of events occurs for switches 41 and 43 according to the color variations for each set of perforations produced in the original color programmed tape.

FIG. 6 shows still another embodiment for color dyeing multiple yarns simultaneously, utilizing the same control features of FIG. 5. In particular, there is shown in said figure a plurality of air chambers 65 each connected to a common dye chamber 66 containing dye 67 with separate feeders 68 flowing to each air chamber. Again, each chamber contains a control valve, not shown, actuated by a solenoid controlled lever, also not shown, as in FIG. 5. A common air-source 69 feeds each air chamber so as to provide a plurality of sprays 70 to permit the dye to discharge upon the multiple yarns 71. There are other variations for producing colored yarns by different dyeing means, controllable by a special previously programmed color tape.

The multiple yarns 71, as shown, may be in the form of a woven fabric wherein multiple yarns in the warp are held secure by cross or woof water-soluble fibers, thus making the fabric strong along its length. Thus it is possible to make yams in the warp thousands of yards long and strong. After color dyeing, the yarns may be separated into individual strands by merely dissolving the water-soluble woof fibers.

FIG. 7 shows typically a Schiffli machine using the yarn made by conventional means, and that all that is required according to the invention described herein is to replace the yarn spool with the color yarn made by the invention and a multi-colored embroidered fabric will be the result.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that different forms and variations of the different detailed embodiments may be made without falling outside the scope and intent of the instant invention which is to create a system which permits the embroidery of different multi-colored patterns without the need and expense of intermittantly exchanging different color yarns for each color stitching operation required. It is also feasible to produce a color programmed tape by using only a previously programmed design tape according to its lineal length so as to avoid piracy of design.

Having described the invention herein, what is claimed is:

1. In a Schiffli type shuttle embroidery machine controllable by programmed Tape of the Jacquard type, apparatus for producing in said machines multi-colored embroidered patterns from colored yams programmed in accordance with said programmed tapes comprising in combination,

a. means for programming a first Jacquard type tape according to a pre-selective embroidered pattern,

b. means for programming simultaneously with said first tape a second Jacquard type color control tape according to the color configuration of said embroidered pattern,

0. a source of color yarn programmed according to said color tape, and

d. means for feeding said yarn to said machine to produce a color configured embroidery pattern.

2. In an embroidery machine according to claim 1 and wherein the said color programming means includes transportable stamping means composed in part of a plurality of spaced apart punching elements each disposed to perforate the color control tape along different spaced apart elongated track positions, each track being defined by a pair of separated single punch perforations determining the extent of a given color. 

1. In a Schiffli type shuttle embroidery machine controllable by programmed Tape of the Jacquard type, apparatus for producing in said machines multi-colored embroidered patterns from colored yarns programmed in accordance with said programmed tapes comprising in combination, a. means for programming a first Jacquard type tape according to a pre-selective embroidered pattern, b. means for programming simultaneously with said first tape a second Jacquard type color control tape according to the color configuration of said embroidered pattern, c. a source of color yarn programmed according to said color tape, and d. means for feeding said yarn to said machine to produce a color configured embroidery pattern.
 2. In an embroidery machine according to claim 1 and wherein the said color programming means includes transportable stamping means composed in part of a plurality of spaced apart punching elements each disposed to perforate the color control tape along different spaced apart elongated track positions, each track being defined by a pair of separated single punch perforations determining the extent of a given color.
 3. In an embroidery machine according to claim 2 and wherein said transport mechanism further includes a moveable carriage supporting said stamping means and being disposed to longitudinally traverse the color control tape to position the punching elements in accordance with the color desired along the said tape.
 4. In an embroidery machine according to claim 1 and wherein said color programming means further includes yarn tensioning apparatus disposed to permit the linear length of each segment of colored yarn to follow the design tape to assure synchronization of yarn and tape upon playback. 